Before He Cheats
by Silent Amethyst
Summary: Some people may not always be who you are led to believe they are.


**Before He Cheats**

A figure clad in a dark outfit peered over the latest issue of _Humans_, watching a specific couple across the street. They were standing in a line outside, waiting to be allowed inside Upperton's hot spot for young adults, mainly of the college variety. Dante's was a night club that required you to either have a reservation or be of some importance in order to get in. That was how she was able to track them down here tonight.

She eyed the slim brunette standing with her soon to be ex. She obviously had a very nice figure, which the tight hipster jeans and black cami that cut off at the midriff she was wearing accentuated perfectly. The sight of her made her envious and upset. Upset because she hadn't been worthy enough to be the one in that woman's place. Envious that the brunette had found it in herself to steal away the love that he had had for another.

That envy was soon aimed to her former beau, when she caught sight of the arm that was draped around the exposed skin of the brunette's lower back. Her gaze trailed upward until _he_ was the one she was looking at. All she could feel now was an icy hatred towards him for doing this to her, for giving in to the temptation, for lying to her. He had told her at graduation that everything would be alright between them, and that nothing would change.

Obviously that had been a lie.

She caught the slight movement of his shoulders in her focused gaze, and looked down to realize that his hand had mysteriously crept into his dates' back pocket. The same hand that created awe inspiring works of art…that used to touch and hold her. To anyone that might have looked into her eyes at that moment, it would be like looking into a blue fire.

Once the couple had disappeared inside the club, she stood up and threw the duffel bag that had been sitting beside her over her shoulder. After witnessing the flirtations between the two, she had absolutely no regrets about what she came here to do.

_Right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleach blond tramp_

_And she's probably getting frisky  
Right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink_

_Cause she can't shoot whiskey...  
_

-- --

Her ex had parked near the top, just as she had suspected. She knew how much he cherished his little red convertible Viper. She knew he'd want to make sure not a single vehicle was within twenty feet of his baby. Her eyes rolled at how ridiculous that seemed. When they were dating, she had always been too infatuated in him to care. Now that they weren't, her eyes were opened to all the little things that he did that under normal circumstances would bug her. The idea of being so "in love" with him not to see those things almost made her want to be sick.

She set her old gym bag down against the wall of the garage and knelt to the ground, shuffling around the contents of the bag until she retrieved a shimmering silver key. Grinning maliciously, she stood back up and turned back to the car. She hoped over the door and sat in the driver's seat. Sticking the key in the ignition, she started up the vehicle and turned on the radio.

When they were still going out, her former boyfriend had given her a key to his new apartment, and fortunately for her, he had never asked to have it back. He had had no reason to. Having the key had provided her a golden opportunity to seek revenge she wanted so badly. So while he was in class that morning, she had been able to snatch the spare key he kept for his precious car without as much as a wary glance in her direction.

Still grinning, she looked over her shoulder to make sure there was nothing was around. When all was clear, she shifted the gear to reverse and hit the gas…

_Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool-stick, showing her how to shoot a combo..._

And he don't know...

…running the tail end smack dab center into the lamp post. And just for good measure, she did it again.

Once she pulled back up to the parking space, she quickly got out and looked over the damage. It had dented inward maybe two inches, seven inches across. Not to mention it had scratched away some paint as well. She nodded in satisfaction, and went back to her duffle bag. She wasn't finished yet.

Reaching into her bag, she grasped her next item. Unraveling the dish towel she had wrapped around it, she grasped the handle of the steak knife she had retrieved from her kitchen at home. She tossed the towel over the bag and looked over the sleek body of the sports car like a child drooling over a chocolate bar.

"It's time to have some fun."

… _I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive  
carved my name into his leather seats...  
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights  
slashed a hole in all 4 tires..._

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

-- --

The silhouette of a feminine figure walked peacefully down the streets, the streetlamps and moon lighting her way back to where this night had begun. Her expression and body language were placid, giving off no sign that she had done anything. No one would know but him.

Walking the few blocks to where she had parked her car, she had to pass by the club. As she did, she stopped and looked at it. Aside from the few people hanging around outside and the loud music and lights coming from the open door, there wasn't much to look at. But somewhere in there, she knew her ex was probably having a great time, doing who knows what with the brunette she had seen earlier. And honestly, she didn't really want or care enough to know.

_I might've saved a little trouble for the next girl  
Cause the next time that he cheats...  
_

She had accomplished what she had come here to do, and now she could move on with her life. For all she cared now, he could have any girl in the world that he wanted. But as she made clear in her…demonstration…she was most definitely not going to be one of them.

And so, with a curt smile on her face, she twirled the keys in her hand and continued walking on, thinking that maybe she could stop by the little coffee shop she had parked near and grab an iced latte for the long drive home. Home, where any and all traces of Josh Mankey would be erased from her memory forever.

_Oh, you know it won't be on me_

_-- --_

If you returned to the sight where the now banged up red Viper was parked, in the driver's seat you would find a set of keys and the name of the mysterious woman scratched into the leather. That name would belong to Tara Matthews.


End file.
